Device for taking a regulable constant continuous current from an alternating-current line



H. GHEINACHER.

DEViCE FOR mums A mzauum consmn commuous cummn mom AN ALTERNATING cunnem LINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5| l5l9.

1 ,329,897, Patented Feb. 1:, 1920.

portion of said resistance UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRICH GREINACHER, 0F ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, ASIGNOR TO THE FIRM 0F ARNOLD BOPP & 00., 0F ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

DEVICE FOR TAKING A REGULABLE CONSTANT CONTINUOUS CUERRENT FROM AN ALTERNATING-CURRENT LINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

Application filed February 5, 1919. Serial No. 275,152.

land, residing at Zurich,- Gladbachstrasse 62, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Taking a Regulable Constant Continuous Current from an Altematin -Current Line;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear, full, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaine to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of. this specification,

In order that electrical energy may be employed forvarious purposes, it is important to be able to obtain either alternatmg current or continuous; that "is direct current. To this end it has already been proposed to rovide a transformer comprising two win ings and connected to two cellrectifiers and to connect to one end of said transformer and to one end of said rectifiers a continuous-current plant, a condenser being connected to the two terminals of said continuous-current plant. Such an arrange ment is well adapted for the supply of current/used for supplying an electric light installation, but it is not adopted at all for use for medical purposes, where a regulation of the continuous-current as well as of the alternating-current is required.

The object of this invention is to provide a. device admitting of takin a regulable constant continuous-current rom an alternating-current line. The invention consists in closing a circuit comprising an adj ustable resistance supplied with an alternatingcurrent over a rectifier and a condenser and in talnng the current from said circuit at the ends of the condenser. The rectifier and the condenser are connected iii-series and both are connected in parallel with the capable of being 12% at A y means of the new device alternatingicurrent aswell as'continuous-current of low tension can be taken in a very simple man'- ner from lightingtmains without .a transformer of special design, or any transformer at all, the alternating or the continuouscurrent-voltage being adapted to be regulated uniformly in a. very accurate manner gramn'iatically the second construction.

between zero and the maximum value that it is intended to obtain.

This invention will now be more particularly described with reference to theaccompa-nying drawing illustrating by way of example two convenient constructions of carrying out the invention. In this drawing Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically the first constructionand Fig. 2 illustrates dia- Referring at first to Fig. 1, K,. K, denote two lighting mains to whichan alternating: current. of say for instance 100 volts, is supplied. The poles of these mains' are con-.

nected to theends E, E, of a resistance coil- E of suitable size. From this coil E'an alternating-current can be obtained in a". known manner by providinga shunt-cit 'cuit. The branching or tapping points of this circuit are P, and P, and the terminals connected therewith are A, and A 'The above described arrangement is known and according to this invention I combine with this known arrangements,rectifier, for iu-v stance a Graetz cell-rectifier Z and a con-' denser C. Through the rectifier Z passes only one half of the wave of alternating current of low tension which charges the condenser C. The latter retains its charge .owingto the action of the rectifier Z, so that a constant pressureor roltage-difl'erence is available at the terminals A, A Even in' the case where a continuouscurrent of an intensity which does not surpass a. certain ralue is taken from A A the terminal voltage at the points retains its constant character owing to the permanent supply of electricity from the cell-rectifier.

The voltage (alternating as well as con tinuous curront-volta,ge) can be regulated by making one or both contacts P, and P, adjustable. The arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 is such that a displacement of the contacts I, and P, up to the ends E, E, of the resistance E is prevented by the stops R, R Ibo Care is taken, that the portion of the resistance E lying between P, E, and P, and-E can not be reduced below a certain value, for instance below 1], of the whole res stance of the 'coil E. In this manner two advantages are attained, the apparatus is protected against short-circuiting and practically also against grounding. When A, and A, are short-circuited of the whole resistance still remains in the circuit in which the resistance 'E is arranged. Thus, the current is prevented from assuming any dangerous in- -tensit W'hen for.instance one terminal, say is unded, as it is usually the case in connection with lighting mains, even in the case of a direct ground connection of A i. e. in the most unfavorable case, of the whole resistance will be still found in the alternatin current-circuit in which the re- -sistance sis arranged; When a ground scoiihectionitakes plafce owing to a contact of hetei'ininal A with the y of a person, he latter-haste bear even in, the most unifavomble case only -of the whole voltage '(below 70 Volts), the intensity of the current being'again quite innocuous owing to the rovision 'of the safety resistance P, E,. =1 hen desired, the arrangement can be also such, that only two connecting terminals are 1 2 9 necessary for both the alternatingand the 'co'iitinuou's-curreirt, an exchanging of the lcon'necting terminals A, and A, being ren defied superfluous. A switchin device has "to be provided in this case w rich can be easilyconnected however with the regulat i ingdevice, having for instance the form of I 1 a siidlngcontact' Fig.2 illustrates :1 artic'ularly simple construction of this kind. P, is rigidly connected to the middle of the resistance the ends of which are designated at E, E 1? is adjustable and it is adapted to be moved past P it being thus sometimes on'the left and sometimes on the right of 1 By providing beneath P, two contact bars .8, an S,-respectively, it is then possible to efi'ect by means of P,,, when it is situated on thedeft' of P,, a connection be- Q i i tween the resistance E and Z, i. e. the recti- 'ng device; while a direct connection be- .tween the resistance E and the terminal A, is yefi'ected when itslides on the ri ht of P,. 'Q In; the case the current 0 tained at the terminals A, vA, is an alternating-current. The devices described are intended primarily for being used for medical pur oses. By means of thenew device of simp e desi 11 regulable current adapted to be" used for sinusoidalfaradisation or' galvanizing urposes can be obtained at once from light- 'ihg means. ,The apparatus can be used alone forelectrifying purposes, or it can be used in combination'with other apparatus .1 and devices (baths, electric massaging and l "the like), tho operator being able to obtain according to the kind of current that he is required to use, either alternating-current or continuous'current, the latter having then.

i also an e ectrolyticefl'ect. I

' The novel deviceis also adapted to be used where only weak currents can be employed. -Further, it can be used'in many instances instead of galvanic batteries or cells, that it can act as a source of electricity in telephone and signaling or alarm plants.

I claim:

1. The combination with an alternating current resistance, of a pair of contacts for said resistance at least one of which is adjustable along said resistance, a condenser and a stationary rectifier arranged in series I between said contacts, and terminal connecstant continuous current from an alternating current line, comprising a regulable resistance supplied with alternating current, a condenser and a rectifier arranged in series, means for connecting the'circult comprising the condenser and rectifier to said resistance, and a switching device adapted to effect a regulation of the voltage as well as to select the delivery of either unidirectional or alternating current from the terminals of the condenser.

4. A device for takin stant continuous current current line; comprising a regulable resistance supplied with alternating current, a condenser and a rectifier arranged in series, means for connecting the circuit comprising the condenser and rectifier to said resistance, a switching device adapted to effect a regulation of the voltage as well as to select the delivery of either unidirectional current or alternating current according to its position, and means for limiting the movement of the reversing device to maintain a portion of said resistance in circuit under all conditions of operation.

5. The combination with an alternating current resistance, of a stationary contact arranged intermediate the ends of said resist-' ance, spaced contact bars opposite said re sistance. a sliding contact eflccting electrical connection between said resistance and bars, a condenser and a stationary current rectifier arranged in series and connected between said stationary contact and one of said bars, and current delivery terminals connected to opposite sides of said condenser, and one of said terminals also directly connected to one of said bars.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name.

HEINRICH GREINACHER.

a regulable conom an alternating 

